Two presidents take a stand against a new cold war in a virtual summit. The old friends sought to renew relations and move forward — accepting competition but shunning conflict. How to achieve that is the big question.

That 10 months elapsed before a meeting was scheduled between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden — who had met frequently in the past — reflects the complexity of the bilateral relationship. But the recent virtual summit may have helped thaw the ice.

The virtual summit between presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden began on a friendly note. But one can predict that the relationship between China and the United States may not go so smoothly in the future. There are likely to be storms and difficult struggles.

This week’s much-anticipated meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden offers welcome relief for a world nervously watching where the 21st century’s most consequential relationship is headed.

Oddly, President Biden has claimed on several occasions that he hoped competition with China would not veer into conflict. But Washington-style competition means a race to the bottom — and possible peril.

A major question with respect to China-U.S. relation has not been answered since it was first raised a few years ago: What are they fighting for? If this cannot be answered to the satisfaction of reasonable people, shouldn’t they just sit down and get on with pragmatic dialogue?

Both sides seem to realize that a paradigm shift in bilateral ties is inevitable and underway. And if it’s not controlled — if it slides toward confrontation — neither party will be served. It should be a footrace, not a wrestling match, President Xi Jinping wisely said.

While a recent speech by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Chi Tai was filled with accusations and predictable slanders against China, it also reflected a somewhat more nuanced trend, showing that America is attempting to moderate relations.

The U.S. faces many serious downsides at it attempts to hold back the inevitable rise of the world’s second-most powerful economy. America should ask itself how long it can realistically expect to do so.

The seemingly stagnant review of U.S. official policy on trade with China has driven business leaders stateside to start issuing demands to the Biden administration for clarity and an end to the economic constraints of the trade war.